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Byline: By MARK CURRIE

WREXHAM defender Andy Holt turned down a chance to leave the Racecourse when the club went into administration, manager Denis Smith revealed yesterday.

The player, signed from Hull City last summer, is one of eight members of the current squad under contract for a further 12 months, but the Dragons boss accepts that each of them will be seeking assurances about job security while the club's future remains uncertain.

And with the ownership issue still unresolved, Smith's first task yesterday was to consult the Racecourse administrators.

'We have until May 21 to make written offers to those players who are out of contract this year,' he said. 'I would like to keep this squad together because they are a good set of lads but we'll have to see how many want to stay. 'As for the lads still under contract, they have to be treated with respect as well. They will want some definite answers and promises of what might happen are not good enough.

'I've got to be able to tell them exactly what's going on and what is happening to the football club. We have been relegated to League Two which is probably not where a lot of them would want to work.

'I still believe that the club's future will be sorted out in the next few weeks but it's coming to a stage when a lot of difficult issues need to be resolved.'

In addition to Holt, Jim Whitley, Dennis Lawrence, Danny Williams, Darren Ferguson, Dean Bennett, Chris Llewellyn and Shaun Pejic all have deals that run until next summer and the Racecourse boss is hoping that Holt's loyalty earlier this season will rub off on them.

'A club came in for Andy soon after we went into administration and we told the lad all about it,' added Smith. …